This invention relates to decorative figures, by which is meant moulded figures, such as representations of comic characters, intended for fun and/or decoration, and in particular to such figures intended to be capable of at least temporary adherence to flat surfaces such as window panes, refrigerator doors, bathroom tiles, children""s blackboards, etc. The invention also encompasses a method of making such figures.
Figures for the kind referred to above are typically (though not necessarily) intended for use by children and may, for example, be regarded as small and inexpensive toys. Typically, therefore, they may be distributed in ways associated with such toys, such as by inclusion in packets of cereal, Christmas or celebration crackers and the like, and thus safety is a principal consideration in the construction of such figures.
It is known for such figures to be moulded of plastics material which sets to rigid form, and to be decorated to present a brightly-coloured front surface that depicts the character or design in question. The rear surface typically bears an outstanding pillar, integrally formed with the figure as a whole, that is designed to receive, as an interference fit thereover, the hollow shaft of a resilient suction device intended to constitute the means of securing the figure, temporarily at least, to a desired flat surface. The extent of such figures in each of their two major dimensions is typically (though of course not necessarily) between two and five centimeters, and they can thus exhibit significant drawbacks from the safety standpoint, in that their size coupled with their rigidity leads to the possibility of unsupervised children putting such figures in their mouths and swallowing or semi-swallowing them, with the potential of causing choking and/or physical damage to the mouth, throat or oesophageal tract. Moreover, the separability of the suction device from the figure itself increases the risk of swallowing, and also gives rise to the possibility of the suction device being swallowed as a separate entity.
Moulding techniques are now known by means of which it is possible to mould such figures in resilient material and, by the sequential application to a mould of material forming respectively front and rear-facing surfaces of the figures, to create figures having the advantage not only of exhibiting resilience as a structure, but also considerable improvement in relation to their three-dimensional topography, detail and colour. Resilient figures moulded by such techniques, therefore, are more attractive than the rigid figures referred to above, and are generally safer because of their resilience. However, the figures produced to date by means of this process have incorporated metallic devices, such as the spike components of butterfly-type tie pins, for mounting or attachment of the figures to desired media, such as clothing, and such fixtures would be entirely inappropriate for the purposes envisaged herein.
It is an object of this invention to address at least one of the problems and difficulties outlined above and exhibited by existing mouldings and/or by the techniques used for making them.
According to the invention from one aspect, there is provided a moulded, resilient decorative figure (as herein defined), the figure having a first major surface, intended to be viewed, moulded to a desired shape and configuration by the application of resilient material to a mould shaped to define respective features of the figure, and a second major surface facing away from the first surface and comprising a backing layer of similarly resilient material; the figure including a suction device having a bulbous base portion connected to a sucker member by way of a relatively narrow neck portion and a tubular sleeve member of resilient material dimensioned to closely surround the neck portion of said suction device and having a cavity accommodating the bulbous portion of said suction device; the suction device and the sleeve being adhesively secured to the second major surface of said figure, such that the sucker device faces away from the figure.
By this means, the advantages of high resolution moulding techniques are combined with safe and secure fixing of the suction device to the figure as a whole.
Preferably the bulbous portion of the suction device, when fitted into its sleeve member, lies somewhat above the plane defined by the circular end of the sleeve member which defines the open end of said cavity so as to permit excess adhesive to well up within the sleeve, thereby to contact the bulbous portion itself and to create a direct and powerful adhesive bond between the suction device and the figure, in addition to the indirect bonding of the suction device to the figure that occurs by virtue of the adhesive bonding of the sleeve to the figure and the firm entrapment of the bulbous portion of the suction device within the sleeve cavity. In any event, the suction device as a whole is formed separately, and of itself as an integral component, for adhesive fixing, with its sleeve, to the decorative figure. The colouration of the suction device and/or its sleeve, is preferably such as to blend with, or provide a desired amount of contrast to, part at least of the figure itself and, in particular, to the backing member.
According to the invention from another aspect there is provided a method of making a resilient decorative figure comprising the steps of applying material to a mould defining a desired outline shape for the figure and also the shape and configuration of respective features intended to be displayed by a first major surface of the figure; forming a backing component, by the application of further material to the mould, to create a second major surface of the figure; providing a suction member intended for the mounting of the figure to a flat surface, said suction member comprising a sucker component and a bulbous component integrally formed therewith; providing a sleeve dimensioned to encircle and entrap the bulbous component, and adhesively securing at least the sleeve to the second major surface of said figure.
Preferably the said sucker component and bulbous component are separated by a relatively narrow neck; the sleeve closely surrounding the neck and having a part dimensioned to accommodate the bulbous component. By this means, the sucker member effectively becomes powerfully secured to the figure. Moreover, if, as is advantageous, the bulbous component is so dimensioned as to not quite reach the plane formed by that end of the sleeve surrounding the bulbous component and intended to be adhesively secured to the figure, excess adhesive applied between the sleeve and the figure can well up inside the sleeve to contact the base of the bulbous component, thereby ensuring that the suction member itself is directly adherent to the figure, as well as being indirectly adherent thereto by virtue of the entrapment of said bulbous portion within the sleeve, which sleeve is firmly adherent to the figure, thus creating, to all intents and purposes, an integral unit.